She said bills kept adding up, particularly from the reptile house, which had about 100 animals with specific lighting and heating requirements for each, and the penguin exhibit.

Ms Thorne-Morley said the park also had more than 40 koalas who needed significant keeper time, and other costs included vet and medical expenses, ongoing maintenance, utilities, licensing and accreditation, and wages for keepers.

She said the park had operated for about 32 years without government funding, relying mainly on visitor entry fees.

It launched the foster program to stay connected to visitors, offering to send people pictures and videos in return for a range of packages that would help pay for care for individual animals.